DIRECTORATE OF LEARNING AND SKILLS Consultation Document

On the proposal to reconfigure primary provision in the Western Vale by:

1. Creating a new 210 place primary school

building with a 48 part time place nursery class for Llancarfan Primary School in Rhoose.

2. Transferring staff and pupils from the existing Llancarfan Primary School building into the new school building.

3. Changing the age range of Llancarfan Primary school from 4-11 years to 3-11 years.

This document can be made available in Braille. Information can also be made available in other community languages if needed. Please contact us on 01446 709727 to arrange this.

Contents

Introduction ...... 3 Explanation of terms used in this document ...... 4 Involving children in the consultation ...... 6 Involving parents, governors and staff - how you can find out more and give your views ...... 6 Background to the Proposal ...... 8 The Proposal ...... 9 Current and proposed catchment area maps ...... 11 Schools serving the Llancarfan and Rhoose area at present ...... 13 Why are we proposing the changes? ...... 14 Is this a school closure? ...... 15 Information about the schools ...... 15 Current performance ...... 16 The intended impact on education outcomes ...... 19 Land and Buildings ...... 22 How would other schools be affected? ...... 23 Changes to Catchment Areas ...... 23 How would Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision be affected? ...... 24 Transition plan if the proposals are approved ...... 25 Risks associated with the proposals ...... 26 Alternatives considered ...... 26 Review of Catchment and Feeder arrangements ...... 29 Transition Admission arrangements ...... 29 Finance – capital investment ...... 31 Finance – running costs ...... 31 Human Resources ...... 31 Transport ...... 31 Learner travel arrangements ...... 31 Impact of the proposal on the Welsh Language ...... 32 Equality impact assessment ...... 32 Considering community impact ...... 32 The Road to a decision ...... 33 Key dates ...... 34 Frequently Asked Questions ...... 35 Consultation Response Form ...... 38

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Introduction

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is committed to ensuring that all pupils within the Vale have every opportunity to attain the best possible outcomes. In order to achieve this ambition it is essential that we ensure schools remain sustainable, reflect the needs of our local communities and are equipped with the best possible learning environments.

In March 2018, the Council launched a new consultation aimed at taking a holistic view of primary school provision in the Western Vale. The aim of the consultation was inform the community about the school re-organisation proposal being put forward to build a new 210 place school building for Llancarfan Primary School, with the addition of 48 part time nursery places which would be located in Rhoose, and to seek feedback on this proposal.

Members of the community raised a number of important concerns regarding the impact to their local areas, as well as raising additional questions about the proposal, while seeking to ensure their views were understood.

The Vale of Glamorgan is committed to ensuring that consultations are meaningful, relevant and appropriate for the communities that are involved, and the Council has a duty of care to ensure that proposals are clear, transparent and reflective of those affected. This is a vision that can only be realised by working in partnership with schools, governors, parents and the wider communities we all serve. The recent consultation exercise examining primary provision in the Western vale has been valuable and important in informing the next steps.

As a result of feedback, the Council has felt it is important to include greater detail in the consultation document and to provide stakeholders the opportunity to consider this within a new consultation timeline.

The feedback provided to date has been incredibly valuable, and has been carefully considered. A thematic review of the concerns raised has been completed and those themes form the basis for the additional information included in this document and the new community impact appraisal. The views expressed to-date regarding this proposal will be considered in the final consultation report. We welcome any further or additional feedback from individuals or organisations on the additional information included in this document before a decision is taken by the Council. In order to make your views known, we request that individuals or organisations submit a feedback form within the timescales provided below.

Under the School Organisation Code 2013, it is vital that any feedback be received by 9 July 2018 in order to be considered as part of this consultation. Any items received after that date cannot be considered. This consultation gives you the opportunity to ask questions and make comments that will be considered when the Council decides how to proceed.

This document explains the Council’s proposals to:

 Create a new 210 place primary school building with a 48 part time place nursery class for Llancarfan Primary School in Rhoose:

 Transfer staff and pupils from the current Llancarfan Primary School building into the new school building:

 Change the age range of Llancarfan Primary school from 4-11 years to 3-11 years.

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This proposal is being considered under section 2.2 of the School Organisation Code 2013. This section refers to Regulated Alterations of a school, which includes the transfer of any existing school to a new site. It is important to stress that under these regulations the proposal to move Llancarfan Primary School to a new site does not constitute a school closure, even though the existing building would no longer form part of the school.

Our consultation process follows Welsh Government guidelines outlined in the School Organisation Code 2013. A range of individuals and groups are being asked for their views about these proposals.

Before any decisions are made, the Council needs to ensure that it offers a number of opportunities for individuals and interested groups to make their views and opinions on the proposals known.

The Council is consulting with the following groups:

Staff (teaching and non-teaching) at Llancarfan Governing Body of Llancarfan Primary Primary school School Parents/Carers and Guardians of children attending Llancarfan Community Council Llancarfan Primary school Vale of Glamorgan Children and Young People’s Vale of Glamorgan Early Years Programme Board Development Partnership (EYDCP) Communities First Partnership Local Councillors Assembly Members (AM’s) / Members of Welsh Language Commissioner Parliament (MP’s) / Regional Assembly Members

Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales Neighbouring Primary and Secondary (CSSIW) schools in the Vale of Glamorgan

Central South Consortium Joint Education Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg (RHAG) Service Estyn Trade Unions Directors of Education – Welsh Government Ministers All Neighbouring Authorities Local Police and Crime Commissioner Diocesan Directors of Education Council’s Transportation Department

Table 1 List of groups to consult as part of the consultation process

Explanation of terms used in this document

Admissions Number – All maintained schools must admit pupils up to at least their published admission number. The admission number is the number of pupil places available in each year group.

Character of a School – The overall profile of the school, for example Llancarfan Primary School is a Community School admitting children between the ages of 4 to 11 years. It is proposed that this will change to 3-11.

‘CSCJES’ (Central South Consortium Joint Education Service) - The regional School Improvement Service for the five local authorities of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

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‘CIW’ (Care Inspectorate Wales) - The regulator for social care and social services in Wales providing independent assurance about the quality and availability of child minders and nurseries, along with other social care placements, across the Principality.

DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) - Schools must not treat disabled pupils less favourably than others. They must make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage, and they must prepare school accessibility plans to show how they will increase access to education for disabled pupils over time.

‘EIA’ (An Equality Impact Assessment) - EIA is a process designed to ensure that a policy, project or scheme does not discriminate against any disadvantaged or vulnerable people.

‘FSM’ – Free School Meals.

‘LA’ – Local Authority which means the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

‘LSA’ – Learning Support Assistant.

‘Number on roll’ – the number of pupils attending a school.

‘PLASC’ (Pupil Level Annual School Census) - In January of every year, verified information is collected by schools for submission to the Welsh Government. This includes the number of pupils enrolled in each school, their age groups, home addresses, ethnicity and data on Welsh language, free school meals eligibility, special education needs and first language.

‘ALN’ – Additional Learning Needs.

School Action (SA) – When a class or subject teacher identifies that a pupil has SEN they provide interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum.

School Action Plus (SA+) - When a class or subject teacher and the SEN Co-ordinator are provided with advice or support from outside specialists, so that alternative interventions additional or different to those provided for the pupil through School Action can be put in place.

Section 106 – the Section 106 contribution is sought from anyone who has an interest in the building of a housing development, towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure, educational provision, open space / play equipment, transport or healthcare for those occupying the new homes.

‘SRB’ – Specialist Resource Base for children with special educational needs.

Statemented – A child has a Statement of Educational Need (SEN), otherwise known as Additional Learning Needs (ALN), if he or she has learning difficulties which require special educational provision to be made to him or her. A learning difficulty means that the child has significantly greater difficulty in learning than most children of the same age or that the child has a disability that needs different educational facilities from those that the school generally provides for children.

Statutory Notice – A statutory notice is the formal publication of a finalised proposal. This will only be undertaken if a decision is made by Cabinet to proceed with the proposal following consideration of all the responses from the consultation process. This is a legal requirement as outlined in the School Organisation Code 2013.

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Involving children in the consultation

It is important that when bringing forward proposals, Councils must make suitable arrangements to consult with pupils and, where possible, those pupils likely to attend the school. The Council firmly believes that the pupils of Llancarfan Primary School should be given the opportunity to make their views known about this proposal.

A consultation workshop will be held with the school council of Llancarfan Primary School to gather their views about the proposal. The information gathered at this session will be included in the final consultation report. The full report will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration following the consultation period.

Involving parents, governors and staff - how you can find out more and give your views

The Council intends to hold drop in sessions for all stakeholders as part of the process.

Parents/carers and guardians of pupils at the school and the community are invited to attend the drop in session where you can ask any questions about the proposal.

We will always ask that you complete a consultation response form as we can only accept views in writing.

The date and venue for the drop in session will be displayed by the school via the school website.

We have also arranged meetings for staff and the governing body of the school. This document and further supporting information can also be found on the Vale of Glamorgan website: www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/westernvalereconfiguration

Links to this document can also be found on social media through the Vale of Glamorgan Council Twitter feed and via the Vale of Glamorgan Council Facebook page.

Details of the consultation meeting dates are given below:

Nature of consultation Date/Time Venue

Staff meeting – school Wednesday 27th June 2018 Llancarfan Primary school 4.30pm – 5.30pm Governors’ meeting – Wednesday 27th June 2018 Llancarfan Primary school school 5.30pm – 6.30pm Parents and Community Wednesday 20th June 2018 Llancarfan Primary school drop in session - school 9.00am – 11.00am 3.00pm – 7.00pm Rhoose community Friday 22nd June 2018 Celtic Way Community drop in session 3.00pm - 6.00pm Centre, Celtic Way, Rhoose Table 2 - Staff, Governor and Parents meetings Your Views Matter

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The consultation period will run from 21 May 2018 to 9 July 2018. You can respond to our proposals at any time during this period.

Your views are important to us, and there are a number of ways that you can let us know.

You can:

 Complete the on line response form at: www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/westernvalereconfiguration

 Attend a drop-in session and speak to us in person. This is a good way to be able to get answers to any questions you many have about the proposals. We will still ask that you complete a consultation response form, as we can only accept views in writing. You can also contact us on 01446 – 709727 for further information on the proposal.

 Complete the consultation response form at the end of this document and send to:

Freepost RTGU-JGBH-YYJZ Reconfiguration of Western Vale Consultation Corporate and Customer Services The Vale of Glamorgan Council Civic Offices Holton Road Barry CF63 4RU

All responses given to us in writing will be considered by Cabinet before it decides whether or not to publish a statutory notice about the proposals.

Responses received from consultees who are opposed to these proposals, although considered as part of the consultation report, will not be treated as statutory objections. A statutory objection would form part of the statutory notice period, if it is approved at the next stage, by the Council’s Cabinet.

If you wish to object to the notice at the next stage of the process, should it proceed, you will need to do so in writing during the statutory objection period. These key dates are outlined in the Statutory Process Timetable on page 34.

Please note that all comments submitted in writing should contain the full name and full postal address of the person making the comments.

The closing date for responses to this consultation is 9 July 2018. Unfortunately, responses received after this date will not be considered by the Council.

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Background to the Proposal

Llancarfan Primary School is comprised of an original Victorian school building containing two classrooms. The building has solid stone walls and a pitch slate covered roof. There are two separate demountable classroom blocks, one single and one double classroom, which are in good condition. In addition, there is a block built in 2000 and extended in 2006 providing the hall, kitchens, a small classroom and staff accommodation.

The school is on a small site which is slightly offset by the use of the adjacent tennis club courts. The school does not meet current building standards and following consideration of the restricted size and location of the site, it is not possible to replace the school with a new build at its current location. An additional challenge relates to the difficult and congested access to the school through the village and the lanes leading to Llancarfan. The four separate buildings and small sloping site do not meet 21st Century School design guidance standards for primary schools which have been used for all new builds completed through the Councils 21st Century Schools programme. These schools comprise a fully accessible one or two storey building providing all the required educational functions within a single building set in grounds meeting current outdoor curriculum needs.

The 21st Century Schools Programme is a long-term strategic investment in educational estate throughout Wales. It is a unique collaboration between Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), local authorities, colleges and dioceses. All of the Vale of Glamorgan Council projects that were undertaken as part of Band A of the 21st Century Schools Programme were completed on time and within budget. The Council is expected to receive Welsh Government Band B match funding through the 21st Century School Programme for the proposal.

The school is operating with a surplus capacity of 25 places (19.8%) that is set to increase to 28 places (22%) over the next five year period. The Vale of Glamorgan is committed to reducing the number of surplus places in schools in order to meet an agreed target put in place as a requirement of Welsh Government in order to ensure education is provided efficiently. Within the primary sector, this equates to an agreed target of no more than 10%.

The Councils adopted Local Development Plan has allocated a total of 787 new dwellings in Rhoose. The allocation comprises 87 dwellings at land south of the Railway Line and 700 new dwellings at land north of the Railway Line. The allocation to the south of the Railway Line has been completed and occupied with children in the school system. The allocation to the land north of the railway line is in two parts:

 Land to the north-west of the Railway line (350 units); and  Land to the north-east of the Railway line (350 units)

The development of land to the north-west of the Railway Line is currently under construction by Taylor Wimpey. The land to the north-east of the railway line has been granted outline and two reserved matters consent for 350 dwellings. The reserved matters for this site have now expired and the developer will need to re-submit a new application if they want to pursue developing the site. Given the allocated status of the site, the Council anticipate the site coming forward for development during the plan period (i.e. before 2026).

The developers of the land to the north-west of the Railway Line, Taylor Wimpey, are required to transfer one-hectare to the Council for the provision of a primary school. A one-hectare site can facilitate a 210 place school with nursery unit. It is anticipated that the additional housing from 8

the developments will increase demand in the area by an estimated 70 places for nursery age children, 194 places for primary age children, of which 162 are likely to require English medium provision, and 174 places for secondary age children.

Based on current projections to include both housing developments, by 2023 there is an anticipated shortfall of 90 primary school places in the Rhoose area. The north–west development commenced in June 2017 with development to the north-east less certain, however the developer has confirmed their intention to proceed. Pupil projections have assumed that the development to the north-east will commence in 2020. Following due consideration it is considered to be more cost-effective to plan for the non-confirmed housing development as part of this proposal, due to the length of time required to consult, agree and if approved build a new school, particularly with regard to the requirements put in place to access the necessary funding from Welsh Government.

Rhws Primary School is a grade 2 listed building which is situated 0.9 miles from the site allocated for the proposed new school building. The school is part of the Victorian Schools project and is receiving phased investment via the Council’s Capital Investment Programme. An additional four-classroom block accommodating Key Stage 2 classes was built in 2009 to manage the increase in demand from the original Rhoose Point development. The school site is restricted in size and potential for further development is limited. This school would therefore not be able to accommodate the total projected increase in pupils.

In order to meet future demand, ensure best use of resources and reduce overall surplus capacity in line with Welsh Government targets, it is proposed to transfer Llancarfan Primary School to a new, larger school building in the Rhoose development. Catchment areas would be redefined to place Llancarfan, Moulton, Llanbethery and Llancadle in the new catchment area for the school. It is proposed that we would also realign existing catchment areas in Rhoose.

The existing catchment area for Llanfair would be extended to include Tre Aubrey and the catchment area for St Nicholas C/W Primary School would include the Whitton area.

Existing and future pupils in Rhoose will sustain both Rhws Primary and Llancarfan Primary schools.

The Proposal

The Council is proposing to transfer Llancarfan Primary School into a new school building which would be located in Rhoose and is 4.7 miles away from the existing Llancarfan Primary School site. The Council would facilitate this transfer with significant investment from Band B of the 21st Century Schools Programme. This would provide a 210 place primary school building with a 48 part time place nursery class changing the age range of the school from a 4-11 year old school to a school educating 3-11 year olds. It is proposed that the transfer to the new school building will take place in September 2021.

The Council must ensure that schools serve their local communities and are reflective of demand. There is a need to meet future demand from the new housing developments in Rhoose. A new 210 place school building, which is the minimum size for a school to be efficient and also the minimum size school the Council would build from a sustainability perspective, would accommodate the projected increase in pupils numbers from both new developments in Rhoose, in addition to the projected pupil numbers that would transfer from the existing site of Llancarfan Primary School. Reviewing the wider needs of the Western Vale offers an

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opportunity to establish a new 21st century school building while addressing community need and surplus capacity challenges.

This is not a proposal to close Llancarfan Primary School. All staff and pupils would transfer to the new school building and the governing body would remain unchanged. Careful planning and management of any transitional arrangements would be necessary to mitigate the challenges of pupils moving in to the area between 2018 and 2021, ensuring no disadvantage to pupils moving to the new school or negative impact on the current performance of Llancarfan Primary School.

The Council recognises the importance of continuity for pupils of Llancarfan Primary School and their siblings who would be affected by the proposal. This would be reflected in the transitional admission arrangements that would be put in place. Please refer to page 29 of this document for further information.

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Current and proposed catchment area maps

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The proposed catchment area would distribute the current catchment area between the transferred Llancarfan Primary school in Rhoose, Llanfair and St Nicholas Primary schools. A realignment of the existing catchment area of Rhws Primary School would also be necessary to provide an even distribution of pupils in Rhoose to serve both schools. 12

Schools serving the Llancarfan and Rhoose area at present

Llancarfan Area Nursery School Medium Status Age Location Provision Community Llancarfan English 4 - 11 Llancarfan No School Ysgol Iolo Community Welsh 3 - 11 Cowbridge Yes Morganwg School All Saints CIW Voluntary English 3 - 11 Barry Yes Primary School Aided St Helens Catholic Voluntary English 3 - 11 Barry Yes Primary School Aided Cowbridge Community Comprehensive English 11 - 18 Cowbridge N/A School School St Richard Gwyn Voluntary Roman Catholic English 11 - 16 Barry N/A Aided Secondary School Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Community Morgannwg Welsh 3 - 19 Barry N/A School (Secondary phase) Bishop of Llandaff Voluntary English 11 - 18 Cardiff N/A CIW High School Aided

Rhoose Area Nursery School Medium Status Age Location Provision Community Rhws Primary English 3 - 11 Rhoose Yes School School Community Ysgol Gymraeg Welsh 3 - 11 Llantwit Major Yes Dewi Sant School All Saints CIW Voluntary English 3 - 11 Barry Yes Primary School Aided Voluntary St Helens Catholic English 3 - 11 Barry Yes Primary School Aided Barry Community English 11 - 18 Barry N/A Comprehensive School School Bryn Hafren Community English 11 - 18 Barry N/A Comprehensive School School Community Llantwit Major English 11 - 18 Llantwit Major N/A School School St Richard Gwyn Voluntary English 11 - 16 Barry N/A Catholic Secondary Aided School Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Community Welsh 3 - 19 Barry N/A Morgannwg School (Secondary phase) Voluntary Bishop of Llandaff English 11 - 18 Cardiff N/A CIW High School Aided

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Why are we proposing the changes?

Llancarfan Primary School has an admission number of 18 pupils per year group therefore the Council is required to admit up to 18 pupils for every year group if sufficient applications are received. The school has only 5 classrooms available for teaching seven year groups; reception to year 6. Therefore, mixed age group teaching is required to manage pupil numbers. This can present challenges in terms of the planning and delivery of the national curriculum. An admission number of 18 with mixed age classes could also make it difficult to manage statutory class size limits of 30.

The school has a catchment area population of 55 primary age children set against a capacity of 126 places. Only 29 of the 55 primary aged children living in the catchment area attend the school. Transferring the school to larger accommodation with a new catchment area with sustainable numbers would enable the school to build on existing progress while catering for a greater school population. Additional pupils would also provide additional revenue for Llancarfan Primary School.

Llancarfan Primary School incurs a high revenue cost per child at £4,490 per child compared to the Vale average of £3,697 per child. Llancarfan is the 5th highest primary school in terms of revenue cost per child. Although this not a primary driver for the proposal, the transfer of the school to a new school building in Rhoose would result in more sustainable and cost effective provision of education in the area.

Llancarfan Primary School has a capacity of 126 pupils. The majority of pupils attending the school reside outside the catchment area. There are 101 children currently on roll, of which 29 (29%) live in the school catchment area. The remaining 72 children (71%) live outside the school catchment area. 35 (49%) out of the 72 pupils residing out of catchment live in the Rhws Primary School catchment area.

Over the last three years, an average of 4 children have been born in the Llancarfan Primary School catchment area each year compared to 18 places available at the reception intake.

Transferring the school to a new larger building would address a number of challenges:

 The staff and pupils at the existing Llancarfan Primary School site would benefit from a new school building which meets 21st century school standards.  Increased surplus capacity at Llancarfan Primary School would be addressed.  Increasing demand for pupil places within the Rhoose area would be met.  The proposed revisions to catchment areas within the Western Vale are expected to increase pupil numbers at other schools, improving future sustainability and contributing to the Council's commitment to reduce surplus capacity in its schools.  Small site issues associated with a school on a confined site such as a lack of outdoor sporting facilities would be addressed.  Poor access to the school through the village and lanes would be addressed.  A nursery would be established supporting continuity and progression in children’s learning from age 3. This would support stability of numbers for the school. Extra nursery places are required in the area to meet the increased demand from nursery age children emanating from the new housing development in Rhoose and to also provide nursery education for present parents of the school.

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The transfer to a new school building with the addition of a nursery unit offers a more efficient and sustainable model to improve the delivery of education for the 21st Century that meets national building standards and reduces the recurrent costs and carbon footprint of education buildings. The new building will meet BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent standards and be built to an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) A rating.

Is this a school closure?

We are not a proposing to close Llancarfan Primary School. This proposal is a transfer of Llancarfan Primary School to a new site and improved school building with increased capacity and an extended age range. A transfer to a new school site is referred to as a regulated alteration under the School Organisation Code, statutory code document no: 006/2013. A school closure is a separate element of school reorganisation which is also outlined in the School Organisation Code. A closure would result in placing staff at risk of redundancy and discontinuing the governing body for example which is not proposed in this case. This consultation proposes retention of the current governing body and the transfer of all pupils and staff to new accommodation; it is not a proposal to close the school.

Information about the schools

Current catchment area schools of pupils attending Llancarfan and Rhws Primary School

The following table shows the number of children currently attending Llancarfan and Rhws Primary Schools and their designated catchment area schools.

Number of Children attending from respective catchment area schools

Barry Llantwit Cowbridge Penarth/Dinas Number Llancarfan Rhws School catchment catchment catchment catchment other on Roll catchment catchment schools schools schools schools Llancarfan Primary 101 29 35 14 20 2 0 1 School, Llancarfan Rhws Primary 374 0 349 16 6 2 1 0 School, Rhoose Table 3 - Breakdown of pupils attending Llancarfan and Rhws Primary Schools May 2018

Current demand for places – Llancarfan Primary school

General School Information

Type of Language Admission School Number Age Part – time School school category number capacity on roll range nursery places

Llancarfan Community English 18 126 101 4 - 11 N/A Primary School School Medium

Rhws Primary Community English 53 375 374 3 - 11 90 School School Medium Table 4 - Capacity and catchment Information - May 2018

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Current Level of Surplus Places

School School capacity Number on roll Surplus places % of Surplus places

Llancarfan Primary 126 101 25 19.8% (target<10%) School

Rhws Primary 375 374 1 0.3% (target<10%) School Table 5 - Data as at May 2018

Demand for school places

The following table provides the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) number on roll at January each year and projected number on roll data.

Recent number on roll data, and projected number on roll data at January PLASC

School

2019/20

Projection

Current Current School Capacity January 2014 January 2015 January 2016 January 2017 January 2018 2018/19 Projection 2020/21 Projections 2021/22 Projections 2022/23 Projections

Llancarfan Primary 126 116 115 104 104 106 105 101 97 94 98 School

Rhws Primary school 375 338 354 353 363 371 365 340 341 349 355 (excluding housing) Table 6 – Recent and projected number on roll as at January PLASC (Pupil Level Annual School Census)

Housing Development in Rhoose Pupil Projections for Rhws Primary School including housing developments in Rhoose

Pupil Projections including north-west and north-east housing development in Rhoose

School School 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 capacity

Rhws Primary 375 376 373 405 451 465 School

Table 7 – Projected number on roll for Rhws Primary School

By 2023 there is an anticipated shortfall of 90 primary school places as a result of the on-going and planned housing developments in Rhoose.

Current performance

The Vale of Glamorgan Council works closely with the governing bodies of schools to ensure that standards are robust, that teaching and learning is of a high quality and that leadership and governance is strong. The Council works with two organisations in order to monitor the performance of schools and to support school improvement. 16

Estyn is the office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales. It is a Crown body, established under the Education Act 1992. Estyn is independent of the National Assembly for Wales but receives its funding from the Welsh Government under section 104 of the Government Wales Act 1998. Estyn inspects quality and standards in education and training providers in Wales.

The Central South Consortium Joint Education Service (CSCJES) was established in September 2012. The Local Authority works with the Consortium to support and challenge all schools in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Schools are inspected as part of a national programme of school inspection. The purpose of an inspection is to identify good features and shortcomings in schools in order that they may improve the quality of education offered and raise the standards achieved by their pupils (Estyn).

In September 2017 a new Estyn School Common Inspection Framework was introduced for all schools across Wales. Llancarfan Primary School was last inspected in March 2014 under Estyn’s previous School Inspection Framework which awarded grades for 10 quality indicators. Under this framework, inspectors also provided an overall judgement on the school’s current performance and on its prospects for improvement. In these evaluations inspectors used a four point scale.

Judgement What the judgement means

Excellent Many strengths, including significant examples of sector-leading practice Many strengths and no important areas requiring significant improvement Good

Adequate Strengths outweigh areas for improvement

Unsatisfactory Important areas for improvement outweigh strengths Table 8 – Estyn Inspection Criteria

Estyn Report

The inspection assessed the school current performance as “Good” and the school’s prospects for improvement as “Good”. Estyn reported as follows;

Current Performance

The school’s current performance is good because:

 although results vary due to small cohorts, pupil performance at the end of key stage 2 at both the expected and higher levels has mainly placed the school in the top 25% or higher 50% of similar schools over the last five years;  nearly all pupils make good progress from their starting points;  standards in literacy and numeracy are good overall;  most pupils make good progress in speaking Welsh;  pupils’ behaviour is good overall;  learning experiences are broad and balanced;  there is good quality care, support and guidance for pupils;  and the learning environment is varied and stimulating.

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Prospects for improvement

The school’s prospects for improvement are good because :

 the headteacher provides purposeful and sensitive leadership and has developed a clear strategic direction for the school;  the school has introduced several beneficial initiatives recently that are helping to move the school forward;  the senior management team has a good knowledge of the strengths of the school and the areas where it needs to improve;  governors are very knowledgeable and supportive, yet hold the school to account effectively;  the school has established a robust self-evaluation system; and  the school works with a wide range of partners successfully.

Recommendations

R1 Provide opportunities for pupils to develop better skills in reading and writing in Welsh

R2 Ensure teachers in key stage 2 match tasks sufficiently well to pupils ‘different abilities and provide enough opportunities for them to work independently

R3 Ensure that marking procedures are consistent across the school so that pupils know how to improve their work

The inspection report for Llancarfan Primary School can be found at: http://www.estyn.gov.wales/provider/6732126

Welsh Government categorisation of schools

In 2014, Welsh Government introduced a new categorisation system for schools; this was revised in September 2017. Categorisation considers each school’s standards alongside the school’s capacity to improve in order to determine the level of support required. Organisations such as the CSCJES and the school improvement service then work with schools’ leaders to identify provide and/or broker any support required for further improvement.

The categorisation system is described below:

Category What the category means A highly effective school which is well run has strong leadership and is clear Green about its priorities for improvement. An effective school which is already doing well and knows the areas it needs to Yellow improve. A school in need of improvement which needs help to identify the steps to Amber improve or to make change happen more quickly. A school in need of greatest improvement and will receive immediate, intensive Red support. Table 9 – Welsh Government Criteria To determine the support category as explained in the table above, schools are placed in one of four groups for ability to bring about improvement (A-D) with A being the highest for improvement capacity. The revised categorisation system introduced in September 2017 does not use a standards grade. 18

For further information about the categorisation scheme, please see Welsh Government’s parents’ guide to the National School Categorisation System: http://gov.wales/docs/dcells/publications/150119-parents-guide-en.pdf

Llancarfan Primary School – Standards and Improvement Categories Publication Date Standards Grade Improvement Overall Category Capacity January 2018 N/A B Yellow January 2017 2 C Amber January 2016 3 B Yellow January 2015 3 B Amber Table 10 - Standards and improvement categories - January 2015 – January 2018

Of the 44 primary schools in the Vale of Glamorgan, 24 are categorised as green, 18 as yellow and 2 as amber.

The intended impact on education outcomes

This consultation proposes the transfer of Llancarfan Primary School to a new site and building for the school with a capacity for 210 pupils plus a nursery unit for 48 pupils providing an all- through primary provision for 3 -11 year olds.

Outcomes (standards and wellbeing)

Standards

 16 out of the 17 pupils in Foundation Phase achieved Outcome 5+ in Literacy Language and Communication, Mathematical Development and Personal Social Development. This placed the school in Bench Mark 3 for the 3 indications.  Outcome 6 performance is above the family average placing the school in Bench Mark 2 for Mathematical Development & Personal Social Development and Bench Mark 1 for Literacy Language and Communication.  Over a 3 year period Outcome 6 performance in Literacy Language and Communication and Mathematical Development has improved by 35.3pp  Small cohorts with significant variations in numbers of boys and girls causes fluctuations in gender performance across years.  All 14 pupils in Year 6 achieved Level 4 in English, maths and science. For the past 3 years the school has been placed in Bench Mark 1 for the 3 indicators  Level 5 performance improved for all subjects in 2017. 9 out of 14 pupils achieved Level 5 in English placing the school in Bench Mark 1, 8 out of 14 pupils achieved Level 5 science placing the school in Bench Mark 2 and 7 out of 14 pupils achieved Level 5 maths placing the school in Bench Mark 3  4 pupils (28%) achieved Level 6 in English.  The very small number of free school meal pupils achieved the expected level.  Attendance has improved 0.6pp over 3 years, current attendance at 95.3% is in line with Local Authority, above Wales and CSC. However, the school has been in Bench Mark 4 for 3 years.

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The school is very well led by the Headteacher and the deputy Headteacher. The school has a robust timetable of self-evaluation activities which involve all leaders and staff. Planning at Llancarfan Primary School is thorough and effective in driving forward improvements with clear links to local and national priorities. Priorities rightly identify the need to improve performance such as developing Welsh language throughout the school.

The school has set challenging whole school targets and nearly all 2016-2017 outcomes in the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 met or exceeded the targets set.

The school has effective processes for identifying pupils who require support in literacy and numeracy which includes the analysis of vulnerable groups. Additional plans are in place for pupils with additional educational needs including more able and talented.

The School continues to increase the proportion of excellent teaching by working closely with other schools. The tracking of pupil data is effective in improving outcomes for pupils and improving standards of learning and teaching. The quality of teaching across the school, and the impact on most pupils’ learning and progress, is consistently good with elements of excellent across the school.

There is a clear focus on raising standards. Targets reflect high expectations for the achievement of all pupils and these are met consistently. All staff have well defined roles and responsibilities and exhibit high professional standards.

Targets for improvement

The school has been evaluated as being able to benefit from additional support from the Central South Consortium, Local Authority and other schools.

The school has been identified as having the following targets for improvement:

 Continue work on increasing the number of pupils achieving Level 5  Implement strategies to ensure the performance of pupils at Level 5 is above the median and in line with performance in English and science.  Improve attendance to move into a benchmark position above the median  Continue to work with cluster schools on moving Good teaching to excellent  Update its Self-Evaluation report in line with up-to-date standards  Develop improved transition for Year 6 pupils  Engage with NACE to further improve More Able and Talented practice across the school

It is worth noting that the staff and community have been very successful in ensuring the learning environment available to them is the best it can be. An additional benefit to this proposal is that the learning environment would require less intervention from staff enabling a greater focus on achievement, attendance and pedagogy, in line with the targets listed above.

Provision

This proposal will develop continuity and progression in children’s learning from the age of three. A consistent approach to the planning and delivery of the foundation phase (nursery to year two) would be enhanced through the establishment of a nursery unit. The already well-developed holistic approach could be embedded from an early age.

A new building will allow for further development of a curriculum filled with rich experiences that challenge children, raise attainment and develop interpersonal relationships. This will support 20

the development of a nursery provision extending the school to deliver education to pupils aged 3 - 11, allowing all learners to achieve success.

The proposed location of the building in Rhoose offers new learning opportunities for pupils outside of the classroom, as well as facilitating greater school-to-school working to support Llancarfan Primary School.

Leadership and governance

Leaders and staff already make highly effective use of performance data; evidence about the quality of learning and teaching and pupils’ work is used effectively to identify strengths and improvement priorities. Processes to track pupils’ progress are rigorous and robust.

Governors receive reports on pupils’ and staff performance. Governors use assessment and performance information to monitor the performance of the school. They show determination in challenging and supporting the school in bringing about necessary improvements. Named governors are linked to areas of the School Improvement Plan and are active in the daily life of school taking part in monitoring activities and staff training sessions. The Headteacher reports regularly on progress towards targets outlined in the School Improvement Plan and supports the governors in fulfilling their function.

The Senior Leadership Team and all stakeholders share a clear vision for school improvement and commitment to improving outcomes for all pupils. All leaders and staff have well-defined roles and priority is given to ensuring that all staff are skilled and have opportunities to develop best practice. Mentoring and coaching practices are being used to develop teaching. Pupil voice is embedded in the practice of the school and impact on policy and practice is evident. Significant changes in staff have been well managed and the school has a permanent Deputy and 3 Class Teachers.

This proposal would support the school’s leadership in continuing to be highly effective and consistent, developing approaches to support learners throughout the extended foundation phase. This would include;

Continuity in tracking, monitoring and intervention processes from an earlier age would lead to a smoother transition between nursery and reception, in turn leading to raised standards.

Careful planning will take place during the proposed transition period to avoid any risk of distraction that could impact on educational outcomes.

This proposal will support the continuation of these examples of good practise by proposing that all staff transfer to the new school building and the governing body remains in place.

The condition of school buildings and facilities The Vale of Glamorgan Council has a vision to provide the best possible facilities for children and young people in the Vale to support their learning. The Welsh Government undertook condition surveys of all schools during 2010 which judged the condition of the school as good. Every five years the Council undertakes a condition survey of all the schools across the Vale of Glamorgan. The latest survey of the school was undertaken in April 2014. A condition survey involves a visual assessment of all exposed parts of the buildings to identify significant defects and items of disrepair.

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Condition of Cost of identified School Type of school school building repairs

Llancarfan Community Good £145,000 Table 11 - Condition survey outcomes April 2014 The report noted that there needs to be a low level of investment required to ensure that the standard of high quality provision is maintained.

The existing maintenance demands at the school include the interlinking of the fire alarm systems, external stonework repairs, toilet refurbishment and upgrading of electric space heaters as well as general maintenance.

In addition, the following deficiencies were identified by the Access Audit completed in 2016:

 Disabled access around the site is very difficult due to the changes of level on the site with numerous ramps and stepped entrances to buildings.  Access to the school site from the village is hindered due to a lack of pavement and no public transport.  There are no car parking spaces for people with reduced mobility either on or adjacent to the site.  External lighting levels are poor.  The intercom at the school’s main entrance is difficult to operate by partially sighted or ambulant disabled visitors.  The reception is not fitted with a hearing induction loop or a lowered counter to aid disabled users.  The accessible toilet in the demountable is being used for storage.  The accessible toilet in the main building requires minor alteration to comply with the Building Regulations; improved colour contrast for the grab rails, relocate the mirror and improve the signage.  Fire exits do not provide safe disabled exit and there are no fire refuges for disabled occupants.

The estimated cost of addressing the identified works is £88k.

The proposed new school building will provide:

 A high quality IT rich learning environment for pupils meeting the educational curriculum needs of the 21st Century.  Unobstructed access between all internal areas for children and staff as the new school will be contained within a single building.  Enhanced safeguarding and site security for pupils and staff.  Improved outdoor sports facilities for both pupil and community use.  Full access for the whole community with improved disabled access.

Land and Buildings

Llancarfan Primary School is situated within the Llancarfan Conservation Area and is identified in the Llancarfan Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan as a ‘positive building’ as it contributes to the character or appearance of the conservation area in a positive manner. The

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original main school building, the oldest of Llancarfan’s school buildings, is a Victorian structure built in 1875 and is included in the Council’s ‘County Treasures’ list.

A county treasure has no statutory protection by legislation and is considered to be a locally important building. Although acknowledged not to be of ‘national’ or ‘exceptional’ importance, they are considered key examples of vernacular architecture or buildings, which have an important County Treasures local history.

If the proposals outlined in the document are implemented, it is anticipated that the site will be considered surplus for educational needs and a capital receipt will be sought to contribute to the costs associated with the proposal to establish a new school. Beyond this, no decisions have been made in respect of the future use of the site and buildings. Any future development of the site will be managed in accordance with relevant council policy and its statutory and fiduciary obligations.

How would other schools be affected?

The proposal is unlikely to have a significant impact on any other schools in the local area. Whilst the Council is increasing the number of places, the current capacity in the Rhoose area will not be able to meet the future demand for school places from the new housing development in the area.

The existing Primary School in Rhoose is nearing its maximum capacity. This proposal has been presented in order to meet future demand, ensure best use of resources and reduce overall surplus capacity in line with Welsh Government targets. Catchment areas would be redefined to distribute the current catchment area of Llancarfan Primary School amongst the transferred school in Rhoose, Llanfair, and St Nicholas primary schools. The transferred school would retain the Llancarfan, Moulton, Llanbethery and Llancadle area within its catchment area and would also include part of the current Rhws catchment area. The remaining parts of Llancarfan’s catchment area, namely Tre Aubrey and Whitton, would be redistributed among Llanfair and St Nicholas Primary Schools. A revision to school catchment areas is expected to also increase pupil numbers at other schools improving future sustainability of those schools and contributing to the Councils commitment to reduce surplus capacity in its schools. Currently 10% of pupils attending St Nicholas Primary School live in its catchment area and 16% of pupils attending Llanfair Primary School live in its catchment area.

There is currently no nursery provision at Llancarfan Primary School or in the immediate area. Children can access nursery provision at other nursery units of schools or at a registered provider. The closest non maintained registered providers are located at St Athan West Camp and in the Welsh St Donats area. No children from the Llancarfan area attend these settings. The overall number of nursery places required will increase in the area by approximately 70 places to take account of the new housing developments planned. The Council expect the additional demand to be accommodated at both Rhws Primary School and Llancarfan Primary School.

Changes to Catchment Areas

The current catchment area of Llancarfan Primary School would need to be redrawn. The proposal would distribute the current catchment area between the transferred Llancarfan Primary school in Rhoose, Llanfair and St Nicholas Primary schools. A realignment of the existing catchment area of Rhws Primary School would also be necessary to provide an even distribution of pupils in Rhoose to serve both schools.

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The revisions to catchment areas are expected to increase pupil numbers for other schools, improving future sustainability and contributing to the Council's commitment to reduce surplus capacity in its schools.

How would Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision be affected?

The school does not have an attached specialist resource base; it provides specialist support for children who have identified needs in an inclusive setting within the school.

The following table provides information about the needs of current pupils.

2017 Llancarfan LA Wales

Percentage School Action 14.4% 8.7% 14.2% of ALN School Action 2.8% 5.2% 10.4% Pupils Plus Statemented 0% 0.4% 2.4% Table 12 - Outline of ALN need for children of compulsory school age PLASC January 2017

The school provides a targeted and bespoke curriculum which is responsive to the individual child’s abilities and ensures that all children who require additional support are integrated across all areas of the curriculum. It has been recognised that some parents may have selected Llancarfan Primary School due to a preference for a smaller school to support their child’s individual needs. As we are not proposing to close the school, the staff transferring to the new building would be very aware of the individual needs of pupils and would be in a position to work closely with the Council at the design stage in order to ensure that the learning environment is supportive of all pupils, including those who benefit from a quieter learning environment.

What are the advantages of these proposals?

Llancarfan Primary School has an admission number of 18 pupils per year group. Mixed age teaching is therefore necessary and this can present challenges in managing classes with associated difficulties in terms of the planning and delivery of the national curriculum. The school has a catchment area population of only 55 children set against a capacity of 126 places, of which only 29 attend the school. Transferring the school to larger accommodation with a new catchment with sustainable numbers would;

 Enable the school to further improve while catering for a greater pupil population.

 Provide innovative and creative learning environments which are adaptable to change and will challenge and support children to reach their full potential.

 Increase the level of community access and interaction through the use of the school’s educational facilities whilst meeting the needs of the school.

 Establish a nursery unit which offers a more efficient and sustainable model of delivery of education for the 21st Century that meets national building standards and reduces the recurrent costs and carbon footprint of education buildings. The new building will meet BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent standards and be built to an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) A rating.

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 Develop the ethos and culture of the school in children from an earlier age, leading to effective interpersonal relationships and higher self-esteem.

 Provide a consistent approach from 3-11 years to promote and underpin continuity and progression for pupils, ensuring breadth and balance across the curriculum.

 All curriculum planning and resourcing would build successfully on previous pupil knowledge and experience and engage interest.

 Support pupils to develop their ability to learn new skills and apply their subject knowledge more positively and creatively across a continuum of learning.

 Improve the already good arrangements for the care, support and guidance of pupils from an earlier age.

 Extend and develop partnerships with families from the earliest opportunity to strengthen home / school transition.

What are the potential disadvantages of these proposals?

A small school ethos could be lost in a larger school.

There may be an impact on the community of Llancarfan village. Further details can be found in the Community Impact Assessment produced in preparation for this consultation.

Management of staff and resources may be disrupted during the transfer.

The creation of a nursery unit within the school has the potential to affect numbers at other nursery units and schools in the area but the impact is considered to be minimal. The nearest schools with a nursery unit are 4 miles and over in the Barry and St Athan area. The majority of nursery children in the Rhoose area attend the local school. There are no non-maintained nursery providers registered with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership serving the area and as such are not affected by this proposal. However, as the overall number of nursery places required will increase in the area by approximately 70 places, the Council is required to accommodate this demand. Rhws Primary School has spare capacity within its existing nursery accommodation to accommodate an extra 26 children in the local area. The Council expect the additional demand to be accommodated at both Rhws Primary School with spare capacity and Llancarfan Primary School.

Some pupils living closer to the current school site will have further to travel. There may be associated increased costs with this although there are already a number of pupils who are provided with free transport from Rhoose to Llancarfan Primary School who would not be entitled to free transport on transfer if they live closer than two miles to the new school site.

There is the potential for disruption for pupils and staff as they become accustomed to their new environment.

Transition plan if the proposals are approved

The Council’s proposals mean that all pupils, staff and governors would transfer to the new school site with the addition of a nursery unit in September 2021. It is proposed that transitional

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arrangements would apply to existing Llancarfan Primary School pupils and their siblings. Further information on these transition arrangements can be found on page 29.

Transportation is currently provided for pupils travelling to Llancarfan from the Rhoose and Cowbridge area. This would continue subject to the two mile limit eligibility criterion for free school transport for primary age children.

Risks associated with the proposals

The Council has secured 50% of funding for the proposal under Band B of the Welsh Government 21st Century Schools Programme subject to approval of a business case. The remaining funding for the new school building is dependent on Section 106 education contributions from the development completed at land south of the railway line, and the developments at land north-west of the railway line along with some capital funding from the Council. The success of this proposal is therefore dependant on the sale of the houses on these developments. However as some instalments have already been received and the development of the land to the north-west is now well underway, this is considered to be a limited risk. The Council has already received full Section 106 contributions from land South of the Railway line at Trem Echni, which is available to support the proposal.

Alternatives considered

Extending Llancarfan Primary School

Llancarfan Primary School would be expanded to a one form entry school with a 48 place nursery to accommodate the forecasted increase in pupil numbers within the Western Vale. This option would require expansion of the existing school on its existing site.

This model was identified as not being the preferred option for the following reasons:

 The site is a constrained site and too small to expand to meet requirements. Building Bulletin 99 (adopted by the Welsh Government for the 21st Century schools programme) provides a formula for calculating minimum school site areas. For 126 children the required site area should be from 6736m2 to 7540m2. However the school site is smaller than the recommended site area at 3,700m2. This compares to the recommended 10,000m2 for a 210 place school.

 The confined site is also sloping on a significant proportion of the site which further limits the possibilities to expand the school on the current site or to provide sports pitches or external learning areas on the school site. A multi-storey building could be built on the site but this is not in keeping with the area and is highly unlikely to be supported by the planning department, or local residents.

 The school is on a small site, slightly offset by the use of the adjacent tennis club courts. The four separate buildings and small sloping site do not meet 21st Century School design guidance standards for primary schools which have been used for all new builds completed through the 21st Century Schools programme.

 The additional space would be required to accommodate increasing pupil numbers from the Rhoose area. Travel to the school would be difficult and would contribute to congested access through the village and lanes leading to Llancarfan.

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 21st Century Schools comprise a fully accessible one or two storey building providing all the required educational functions within a single building set in grounds meeting current outdoor curriculum needs. It would not be possible to achieve this with the existing site constraints in Llancarfan. In order to secure 21st Century School funding from Welsh Government, it is a requirement that the 21st Century school building protocols be met.

 There is insufficient access and space on the existing site to maintain the existing school whilst building works for a new school were undertaken.

Extending Rhws Primary School

Rhoose Primary School would be expanded on its current site to include the addition of an 8 classroom extension and dining hall. This would require a further building to be built adjacent to the 2009 extension alongside the remodelling of existing class spaces and extension to the existing nursery facilities.

This model was identified as not being the preferred option for the following reasons:

 The additional buildings will be built on existing playing fields leaving the site looking and feeling overcrowded;

 Design restrictions and delay could be caused by the grade 2 listing of the existing school;

 Initial feasibility work has highlighted that because of the limited outside space available at the school, the site will be deemed too small as calculated by Building Bulletin 99 Briefing Framework for Primary Schools Projects. The Bulletin states that the area required for a 630 capacity primary school plus nursery is 28,650 m2. The area of the Rhoose Primary School site is 14,600 m2 and is therefore 14,050 m2 short of the required space for a 630 place primary school. This would limit the design and site layout for any proposed extension;

 By extending capacity at the school the current traffic congestion in the village will increase at key points during the day;

 There is no opportunity to address half form entry challenges at Llancarfan Primary School, or the projected fall in pupil numbers;

 Building on the existing site would cause disruption to learning for at least 9 months as not all of the work could be undertaken during school holidays. This could affect learning outcomes;

The enlarged school would be too large causing a situation of surplus capacity in 2021 of 19%. Parents from the new developments may also choose to allow their children to remain at their existing schools. This would mean that not all of the predicted demand is realised in the short term which would increase the potential for surplus capacity in the school. When building or extending schools it is considered necessary to extend or build in multiples of 30 for a one, two and three form entry school of seven year groups, reception to year 6. This is a more efficient and sustainable model of delivery that better manages class organisation, school structure, curriculum planning, negates mixed age teaching and assists with managing statutory class size limits of 30 children.

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Building a new school in Rhoose while making no changes to Llancarfan Primary School

A new 210 place school would be built on a 1 hectare site in the Rhoose Point development.

No change would be required to the current facilities or capacity at the existing Rhws Primary School, but work would be undertaken to address the issues highlighted in the 2014 condition survey.

It is anticipated that the new school would be federated by the current Rhoose Primary school. The federation would benefit from sharing a high quality Headteacher, leadership team and governing body, allowing for additional flexibility and resource sharing enabling additional cost savings. The schools would remain separate, maintaining its own individual budget allocations and would report results separately.

This model was identified as not being the preferred option for the following reasons:

 Given current projected demand of 135 children, a new 210 place school would introduce significant surplus spaces, and potentially not represent effective management of school places or resources.

 There is no potential to address half form entry challenges at Llancarfan Primary School.

 The creation of a federation between the new and existing school will require excellent leadership. Further succession planning will need to be incorporated to ensure that this relationship is sustained into the medium and long term.

 Leadership will need to manage the two schools across sites approximately 0.5 miles apart which would introduce additional complexity.

 Additional revenue funding of approximately £725k would be required to operate a 210 place school. This would need to be found from within the current Individual Schools’ Budget, thereby reducing the funding available for other schools in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Maintaining the status quo

Llancarfan is comprised of a Victorian school building with a separate block built in 2000 and two separate demountable classroom blocks. The school is situated on a small school site with difficult access. The school has no nursery provision in place and has an admission number of 18 that requires mixed age teaching.

The school is situated in the village of Llancarfan providing a small school ethos. Children attend from a number of different areas of which 29% live within the school catchment area. The school has a catchment population of 55 pupils compared to a capacity for 126 children. The school is categorised as yellow in terms of the Welsh Governments National School Categorisation system. The school has a high revenue cost per child compared to the Vale average.

Maintaining the status quo is not considered to be a viable an option. Based on current projections, by 2023 there is an anticipated shortfall of 90 primary school places in the Rhoose area. In addition, the number of children living in Llancarfan is decreasing which will further challenge the efficiency and sustainability of Llancarfan Primary School. By law, the Vale of Glamorgan Council is required to ensure adequate provision of school places within its borders to meet demand. Given the above this option is not considered to be a viable alternative.

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Anew building and location would allow for further development of a curriculum filled with rich experiences that challenge children, raise attainment and develop interpersonal relationships. This will support the development of nursery provision extending the school to deliver education to pupils aged 3 – 11, allowing all learners to achieve success.

Review of Catchment and Feeder arrangements

All catchment and feeder arrangements in place within the Vale of Glamorgan are subject to regular review and a widespread review is scheduled to take place during the academic year 2018/19. Any proposed changes would be reflected in a future admission arrangements consultation. If as a result of this process, any changes to admission arrangements take place, the transition admission arrangements outlined below for Llancarfan pupils and their siblings would be included within any future oversubscription criteria.

Transition Admission arrangements

As part of this proposal the Council commits to putting transition admission arrangements into place for pupils on roll on the transfer to the new building. These transition admission arrangements would not apply to any pupils joining the school after the new building is operational unless they will have a sibling already on roll at the school during the year they join and that sibling was on roll on the date of transfer.

Feeder Link to Cowbridge The Council proposes as part of this consultation to maintain the feeder link to Cowbridge Comprehensive School for pupils on roll at Llancarfan Primary School on the date of transfer to the new building and their siblings. This would be included in any future consultation on admission arrangements regardless of any other changes proposed following a review.

Sibling Connection Applications for a place at Llancarfan Primary School after the transfer to the new building from siblings of pupils on roll on the transfer date will be considered to be of equal priority as pupils residing in the catchment area with a sibling on roll. This is the highest criteria possible other than those reserved for looked after and previously looked after pupils. Siblings are already given priority as part of the existing admissions oversubscription criteria for entry into secondary school. There is no proposal to change this as pupils with a sibling connection will also have a protected feeder link which falls into a higher criterion.

Change in catchment area A child’s catchment area school is determined by their home address at the time of applying for and taking up a school place. The Council are not proposing to change the catchment area for Cowbridge Comprehensive School as part of this proposal. The Council is proposing to change the catchment area of Llancarfan Primary School, Llanfair, Rhws and St Nicholas C/W Primary Schools.

As part of this proposal the areas of Tre Aubrey and Whitton would no longer be part of the catchment area for Llancarfan Primary School. As part of these transition admission arrangements, an application for Llancarfan Primary School for pupils residing in this area who had a sibling on roll on the transfer to the new site would be considered to be of equal priority as a catchment/ sibling application. This is the highest criteria possible other than those reserved for looked after and previously looked after pupils.

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These arrangements also do not guarantee the offer of a place for transferring pupils and their siblings at their chosen school however it does ensure that they are considered under a higher criterion than they may have otherwise been considered.

Full details of all schools within the Vale of Glamorgan and the application process can be found in the Parental Guide to School Admissions in the Vale. This document is published annually in order to reflect the admission arrangements in place for the following year. This document can be found at http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/working/education_and_skills/schools/admissions/school %20admissions.aspx

What do these transition arrangements mean for my family?

Scenario A

I have a child in reception and I also have a 9 month old baby. We live in Llancarfan Village. My family have always attended Llancarfan Primary and Cowbridge Comprehensive School and I am concerned that this will no longer be possible for my children.

As long as your older child is on roll at Llancarfan Primary School on the transfer to the new site, your younger child will be considered in the highest possible criteria for admission to Llancarfan Primary School when it’s time to apply for a place. In addition, as you reside in the current catchment area for Cowbridge and your children will have their feeder school status guaranteed; this would mean they would be in a very strong position to be offered a place at Cowbridge as long as you apply by the closing date.

Scenario B

I live in the current catchment area for Llancarfan Primary School but you are proposing to change this. I do not know how this will affect my family.

If your child is on roll at Llancarfan when the new school building is operational, they will automatically transfer to the new site and will be offered free school transport if the new building is more than 2 miles from your home address. Any younger siblings applying after the transfer to the new site will be considered as having equal priority to catchment applications with a sibling connection as long as the older sibling transferring to the new site is still on roll at the school.

Scenario C

I currently walk my children to school and do not drive. How can I take them to the new school building?

Providing you live 2 miles or more from the new building, free home to school transport will be provided for your child.

Scenario D

I live in Rhoose but chose to send my child to Llancarfan as it is a Cowbridge Feeder School and this is my first preference for secondary education. If this proposal goes ahead, how will this affect my application for secondary school?

If your child is on roll at Llancarfan on the date of transfer to the new site, your application will have exactly the same status as it would have done if the school remained at its current location.

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Finance – capital investment

Subject to the approval of this proposal, a significant capital investment will be made to establish a new school building for Llancarfan Primary School. The Council will manage the process and the governing body, staff, parents and pupils of Llancarfan Primary School will be fully engaged in the development of the plans. The Council will also be responsible for managing the construction.

It is estimated that the total capital funding required to build a new school on a green field site, including the installation of utilities services and highways provision, will be £4.185 million. The Council is expected to receive £2.0925 million in Welsh Government Band B match funding through the 21st Century Schools Programme for this project. There will be a total of £1.639 million in Section 106 contributions for educational facilities in Rhoose from two developments. The balance will be met from the Council’s capital funding.

Finance – running costs

Additional revenue funding will be required to meet the operational costs of the new school. The additional revenue costs of the increased pupil numbers at nursery and primary stages will be met through the school funding formula which allocates the majority of funding for schools on the basis of pupil numbers.

Human Resources

It is not anticipated that there would be any adverse impacts for staff as they would simply transfer to a new building on their existing contracts. This proposal would lead to an increase in employment opportunities at the school as additional pupil numbers would lead to an increase in future staffing levels. If transfer to the new school site takes place and a nursery is established at the school, the governing body and Headteacher would need to develop an increased staffing structure for the extended foundation phase and increase in pupil numbers from September 2021. Any proposed changes to staffing would be subject to full consultation with staff and the relevant trades unions where necessary.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council fully supports the governors, Headteacher and staff at the school with any employment related matters. The school has access to the Council’s Human Resources policies and procedures, including recruitment policies. The Human Resources service works closely with governors to ensure regular and clear communication with all employees takes place on all matters relating to a change in location of their workplace.

Transport

Traffic and transport implications are being considered as part of the Transport Assessment that will be required in order to achieve planning consent for the building works should this proposal be implemented.

Learner travel arrangements

The Vale of Glamorgan Council does not provide free school transport for nursery-age children other than those children who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN). Under 31

these proposals there are no plans to change the Council’s policy on the transport of children to and from schools.

The Council has a statutory duty to provide free school transport for pupils of statutory school age who reside beyond walking distance to the nearest appropriate school.1

“This is defined as more than 2 miles to the nearest suitable school for Primary Pupils and more than 3 miles for Secondary School Pupils. Distances are measured by the nearest available walking route.”2

Any pupil attending Llancarfan Primary School on the date of transfer to the new site who lives more than 2 miles from the new school site would therefore be entitled to free school transport. Any pupils who no longer live 2 miles from the new Llancarfan Primary School site as a result of the relocation would no longer be entitled to free school transport. The admission transition arrangements proposed as part of this consultation would be reflected in the provision of transport. It is estimated that the cost of providing this transport would be in the region of £38,000 per annum. This is likely to be provided in the form of two minibuses serving the current catchment area subject to the distance criteria above.

These arrangements would support children with siblings who are affected by the change in catchment areas to ensure that if requested by parents both siblings can receive transport to the new Llancarfan Primary School site providing they live more than two miles from the new school site. http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/living/transportation/school_transport/School- Transport.aspx

Impact of the proposal on the Welsh Language

Parental demand for Welsh medium primary education will continue to be provided through the catchment area school Ysgol Dewi Sant. There is existing capacity in the area for Welsh medium education

Llancarfan Primary School is an English medium school and this proposal does not seek to change this.

Equality impact assessment

An Equality Impact Assessment will be carried out on completion of this consultation and will be published alongside the Consultation Report.

Considering community impact

Based on current projections, by 2023 there is an anticipated shortfall of 90 primary school places in the Rhoose area. This proposal seeks to address this shortfall.

1Policy For The Provision Of Home To School Transport (Revised February 2010)

2The Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008 32

The establishment of a nursery class within the school will enhance the impact of the school on the community by providing more opportunities for families with pre-school children to become part of the school at an earlier age.

The school will continue to offer activities for pupils and the community outside school hours. Community use of school facilities is a key requirement of the 21st Century Schools Programme. Consideration will be given as part of the design of the new school about the type of facilities and how this can complement the existing facilities in the area. The local community does not currently utilise the facilities at Llancarfan Primary School. The current facilities available for pupils will be significantly enhanced by these proposals.

The full Community Impact Assessment can be viewed via the following link: www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/westernvalereconfiguration

The Road to a decision

You will find below a flow chart of the process that is followed in order to meet statutory requirements for this proposal.

Permission to Consult Consultation Period Consultation Report • Cabinet approved consultation on • Meaningful consultation with all • Report of consultation findings the 22nd January 2018 stakeholders presented to Cabinet • Outline and rationale for proposal • Full documentatino produced to • Cabinet decide whether to publish outlined in Cabinet Report inform a statutory notice • Not the consultation itself • Includes pupils, parents, staff, • If approves, proceed to Statutory community memeber, Notice organisations etc. • If declined, proposal to be • Responses must be submitted in withdrawn or reassessed writing

Report to Cabinet Objection Period Statutory Notice • Cabinet are required to determine • Period for any objections to the • Notice to progress proposals the proposal proposal, following statutory published on Council websites and • If objections are received, an notice posted at any named schools. objection report will be presented • Objections must be made in • Copies of notice distributed to to Cabinet to consider writing pupils, parents/carers and • Cabinet may decide to approve, members of staff reject or approve the proposals with modifications.

Publication of Decision Implementation • All interested parties will be • Implementation of the proposal in informed of the decision which will line with the details set out in the be published electronically on the consultation documentation and Vale of Glamorgan Council website. published statutory notice • Decision letter issued and published on Council website

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Key dates

Feedback from this consultation will be collated and summarised and a report presented to Cabinet. The consultation report will be available for everybody to view on the school’s and the Council’s websites. Copies can also be obtained on request by using the contact details within this document.

There are further stages that the Council will have to go through before a final decision is made. These stages are set out below:

Statutory Process Timescale

Issue consultation document Monday 21 May 2018

Closing date for views on the proposals Monday 9 July 2018

Consultation report considered by Cabinet and Monday 3 September 2018 published on the school and Council’s website Subject to Cabinet approval, Statutory notice issued during which time formal written objections 17 September 2018 will be invited

End of Statutory Notice Period 15 October 2018

Determination by Cabinet with objection report. November 2018

Decision notification November 2018

Proposed transfer to the new school building for Llancarfan including the establishment of a nursery September 2021 unit. Table 13 - Timetable for consultation The proposed timetable may be subject to change Consultation period

The consultation period for this proposal starts on Monday 21 May 2018 and ends on Monday 9 July 2018. See page 7 for further details of how to respond and make your views known.

Within 13 weeks of 9 July 2018 a consultation report will be published on the Council’s and school’s websites. Hard copies of the report will also be available from the school office on request. The report will summarise the issues raised by consultees during the consultation period and responses to these issues. The report will also contain Estyn’s view of the proposals.

In September 2018 Cabinet will consider the consultation report and decide whether or not to progress to the next stage.

If the Council decides to continue with the proposals it must publish a statutory notice. 34

Statutory Notice

The statutory notice would be published on the Vale of Glamorgan Council website and posted at or near the main entrance to Llancarfan Primary School. Copies of the notice will be distributed to pupils, parents, guardians, and staff members. The school may also distribute the notice by email. The notice will set out the details of the proposals and invite anyone who wishes to object to do so in writing within the specified period.

Determination of the proposals

The Council will determine the proposals. Cabinet may decide to approve, reject or approve the proposals with modifications. In doing so, the Council will take into account any statutory objections that it has received.

Decision Notification

Following determination of proposals all interested parties will be informed of the decision which will be published electronically on the Vale of Glamorgan Council website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you planning to close Llancarfan Primary School? We are not proposing to close Llancarfan Primary School. This proposal is a transfer of Llancarfan Primary School to a new site together with an increase in the capacity of the school. These elements are referred to as regulated alterations under the School Organisation Code, statutory Code document no: 006/2013 that require publication. The proposal seeks to move the existing school into a new, larger school building in line with Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme. The proposal is not a closure of Llancarfan Primary School. The proposed new school building for Llancarfan Primary School would also be able to accommodate an increase in demand for pupil places in the Western Vale, primarily from new developments in the Rhoose area. Existing staff, governors and pupils at Llancarfan Primary School would move into the new building.

Can you build a new school in Llancarfan? There are a number of inherent limitations associated with the existing Victorian school building itself and the land upon which it sits, that would prevent a new build. Llancarfan has a small catchment population compared to its overall capacity to accommodate children. The existing Rhws Primary School is approaching maximum capacity, and over one- third of children attending Llancarfan come from the Rhoose area. Only 29% of the pupil population at Llancarfan come from within the Llancarfan catchment area. 71% come from outside the catchment area.

How would Rhws Primary School cope with having another primary school in the area? This proposal provides a unique opportunity to not only transfer Llancarfan Primary School into a new 21st century school building but also accommodate children from the new housing development in Rhoose. The existing Primary School in Rhoose is nearing its maximum capacity and will be unable to accommodate these children. Rhws Primary School is approximately a mile away from the proposed location of the new school site. There are no plans as part of this proposal for an amalgamation with Rhws Primary.

What commitment for existing children at Llancarfan Primary School will be honoured? 35

It will be proposed as part of the consultation for the new school building and as part of consultations on future admission arrangements that transitional arrangements will apply to existing Llancarfan Primary School pupils and their siblings on transfer. The Council’s intention is to honour the feeder arrangements and catchment area links to Cowbridge for existing Llancarfan Primary School pupils on transfer up until they leave the school. Siblings of pupils attending the school on transfer will also have a high priority for admission to Llancarfan Primary School once they reach school age. This will be part of the oversubscription criteria in place.

Would the same rights apply to pupils admitted to the school between a decision being taken to transfer Llancarfan Primary to the new school building and the actual transfer? Subject to the outcome of statutory consultation, the intention would be to honour the existing feeder school arrangements for pupils on roll on the date of transfer and their siblings. Children on transfer and their siblings will automatically retain the feeder links to Cowbridge currently operating for entry to the school as is the case now. With the exception of siblings, any pupils joining Llancarfan Primary School after the transfer to the new site would be subject to the agreed admission arrangements in place at that time. Siblings being admitted after the transfer to the new site who are affected by the change in catchment areas would have a high priority for admission under the council’s admission arrangements policy. This consultation does not propose to change the current catchment area for Cowbridge Comprehensive School.

Would pupils from the current Llancarfan Catchment area still retain rights to admission to Cowbridge Comprehensive or would the Cowbridge Comprehensive Catchment Area be changed to exclude the catchment area of the transferred school? Catchment areas are traditional boundaries that are put in place to ensure that local schools service their community. This consultation does not propose a change to the catchment area for Cowbridge Comprehensive School. Any change to the catchment area for Cowbridge Comprehensive School would only take place after a review of catchment areas and the required consultation. Parents will of course always have the ability to specify their preference.

Will there be a new Headteacher? All staff employed at the school on the date of transfer would transfer automatically to the new site with no change to their terms and conditions of employment.

What would the admission arrangements be? As this consultation does not propose the closure of Llancarfan Primary School, all children will transfer to the new building automatically. Applications for a school place after the transfer to the new site from siblings of pupils on roll at the school on the date of admission would be considered a high priority. The Council's admission criteria would reflect this by establishing transitional arrangements for children with siblings who are affected by the change in catchment areas to ensure that if requested by parents both siblings can attend Llancarfan Primary School wherever possible providing they are on roll at the same time.

Will the school have a new name? We are proposing to provide Llancarfan Primary School with a new, larger, vastly improved building, extending the age range of the school. Llancarfan Primary School will not be closing therefore there would be no need for the school to change its name, ethos or identity, only its location.

Will the policies of the school change to reflect the new site and the nursery age children? This will be a decision of the governing body and the Headteacher of the school. The school will need to consider reviewing its policies following the transfer to the new building and the establishment of a nursery unit to ensure that all children in the school are covered by the school’s policies.

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When would staff and pupils transfer to the new school building? The proposal is that the new school will open in September 2021.

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Consultation Response Form

On the proposal to reconfigure primary provision in the Western Vale by:

1. Creating a new 210 place primary school building with a 48 part time place nursery class for Llancarfan Primary School in Rhoose;

2. Transferring staff and pupils from the existing Llancarfan Primary School building into the new school building;

3. Changing the age range of Llancarfan Primary school from 4-11 years to 3-11 years.

Your views matter. Please tell us what you think about the proposals by:

 completing the online response form at www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/westernvalereconfiguration

or

 answering the consultation questions and adding your points of view on this form

Please return the form to the postal address at the bottom of the form.

Please note that all comments should contain the full name and full postal address of the person making the comments.

The closing date for responses to this consultation is Monday 9 July 2018. Unfortunately no responses received after this date can be considered.

Consultation responses will not be counted as objections to the proposals, although considered by the Council when making its decision.

Objections can only be registered following publication of a statutory notice.

Any responses received can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act and may have to be made public. However, any information that would identify an individual such as name, email address and postal address would be removed.

Your Name: Address: Postcode: Email Address: Date:

Please tell us whether you are responding as: 1. Parent 5. Local Resident 2. Pupil 6. Other (please specify) 3. Governor 4. Member of Staff

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Consultation Response Form

On the proposal to reconfigure primary provision in the Western Vale by:

1. Creating a new 210 place primary school building with a 48 part time place nursery class for Llancarfan Primary School in Rhoose;

2. Transferring staff and pupils from the existing Llancarfan Primary School building into the new school building;

3. Changing the age range of Llancarfan Primary school from 4-11 years to 3-11 years.

Questions

1. Do you support the proposal to provide a new school building with a new nursery unit for Llancarfan Primary school from September 2021

Yes ☐ No ☐

If you support or do not support the proposal then please explain why.

2. If you would like to suggest any changes or alternatives to the proposals, please detail these below.

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Any other comments?

Thank you for your comments

Please tick the box below if you wish to be notified of publication of the consultation report

Freepost RTGU-JGBH-YYJZ Reconfiguration of Western Vale Consultation Corporate and Customer Services The Vale of Glamorgan Council Civic Offices, Holton Road Barry CF63 4RU

Please return this form to the Vale of Glamorgan Council by no later than 9 July 2018

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Notes Pages

Notes on Consultation Document

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Vale of Glamorgan Equality Monitoring Form

Gender and Gender Identity What is your gender?  Female  Male At birth were you described as?  Female  Male  Intersex  Prefer not to say Disability Are your day-to-day activities limited  Yes – limited a lot because of a physical or mental health  Yes – limited a little condition, illness or disability which  No has lasted, or is expected to last, 12  Prefer not to say months or more? Age What is your date of birth? National Identity National Identity – how would you describe your national identity?  Welsh  English  Scottish  Northern Irish  British  Other (please specify)  Prefer not to say Ethnic Group Ethnicity – how would you describe your ethnic group? White  Welsh/English/Scottish/Northern Irish/British  Irish  Gypsy or Irish Traveller  Any other white background (please specify): Mixed/multiple ethnic groups  White and Black Caribbean  White and Black African  White and Asian  Any other mixed/multiple ethnic background (please specify): Asian/Asian British  Indian  Pakistani  Bangladeshi  Chinese  Any other Asian background (please specify): Black/African/Caribbean/Black British  African  Caribbean  Any other Black/African/Caribbean background (please specify): Other ethnic group  Arab  Any other ethnic group (please specify):  Prefer not to say

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Welsh Language Please describe your Welsh language ability by ticking the relevant box(es) below. Understand Speak Read Write None     Basic     Competent     Good     Fluent     Sexual Identity Which of the following options best describes how you think of yourself?  Heterosexual / straight  Gay or lesbian  Bisexual  Other  Prefer not to say Religion What is your religion?  No religion  Christian (all denominations)  Buddhist  Hindu  Jewish  Muslim  Sikh  Any other religion (please specify):  Prefer not to say Pregnancy and Maternity Are you currently pregnant or have  Yes you been pregnant within the last  No year?  Prefer not to say Have you taken maternity leave within  Yes the past year?  No  Prefer not to say Marriage and Civil Partnership What is your legal marital or same  Single, that is never married and never sex civil partnership status? registered in a same sex civil partnership  Married and living with husband/wife  Separated but still legally married  Divorced  Widowed  In a registered same-sex civil partnership and living with your partner  Separated, but still legally in a same-sex civil partnership  Formerly in a same-sex civil partnership which is now legally dissolved  Surviving partner from a same-sex civil partnership  Prefer not to say

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